At Meon Valley Studio we aim to provide you with the best jewellery making experience. If you have enjoyed one of our courses and would like to write us a testimonial, please do!
Here are some testimonials from our happy students...
Kirsty - Weekly Class
I have been attending weekly classes with Olivia for near on 2 years! Working with Olivia is a real privilege , her skill is endless and her patience is great! I have created amazing beautiful jewellery. I can't imagine life without my weekly fix :) thank you Olivia
Santi - Taster Day
I have wanted to do this course for such a long time and took the plunge in October and what a joy. Olivia was there patiently every step of the way and I made myself a spinner ring that looks fantastic. Still can’t believe that I made it and I am going to come back for weekly as soon as there is a space available and booked 2 spaces for the first of December and bringing my daughter with. Thank you so much Olivia for an amazing experience.
Ross & Charlie - Make Your Own Wedding Rings
We had the pleasure of attending the Olivia’s beautiful studio for the unforgettable adventure of crafting our wedding rings. We started the day with no experience in metal working but under Olivia’s expert guidance we were able to create stunning rings that far exceed our expectations. Olivia made the day really special for us, she was a brilliant teacher, coaching us throughout the day and making sure that we produced the best possible pieces we could make. These rings mean so much to us both it's the only physical element of the wedding day that will last forever and an integral part of our Lord of the Rings theme. We can't thank Olivia enough for helping create such a special memory and would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone interested in metal working.
Sally-Jane - Taster Day & Summer School
I have attended 2 Saturday workshops at Meon Valley which I thoroughly enjoyed, I was then very fortunate to be able to attend Olivia’s Summer School. Wow what a week, Olivia is a wonderful teacher and so very patient, she is both generous in her support and the imparting of her knowledge and silversmithing skills. It was so lovely to try new things and create pieces of jewellery I hadn't attempted before. I came home every evening wanting to carry on and have really missed not being there now the week is over. I have had so many lovely comments about the pieces I made and I am very proud of what I have achieved. I'm telling everybody they should give it a go and definitly recommend Olivia and Meon Valley Studio.
Lisa - Soldering Master Class
I thoroughly enjoyed the Soldering Masterclass day which I attended recently. I have been coming to the weekly classes for a couple of years but the more focussed session really helped to boost my confidence as I was able to practise the many ways of joining silver with solder. Olivia is a very talented and professional craftsperson and a really effective teacher. She is well prepared and organised, she explains everything clearly and she is infinitely patient. I would really recommend this course to others as it was fun and informative.
Lorraine - Cuttlefish Casting Workshop
Special thanks to Kirsty for a great Cuttlefish Casting Workshop on Saturday. It was just perfect, great mix of demonstration and individual attention and a great technique which I'm inspired to try more. I loved it!
Ben - Private Course
I have just returned from an incredible day with Olivia at the Meon Valley Studio, creating a fantastic engagement ring. The day has been thoroughly enjoyable and the resulting piece is exactly what I wanted...... Presenting this to my beloved will be a proud moment.... I can't wait to see her face! Thank you so much.
Rachael - Wax Carving Workshop
Olivia’s wax carving day course was fantastic. I have been attending weekly courses for about a year and I really enjoyed discovering and exploring a new medium to use in my work. Olivia was, as always, clear and concise in her teaching and always ready to help clarify techniques and guide you through the process. I will certainly be continuing with wax carving in the future, it adds a whole new dimension to what I can achieve.
Ali - Soldering & Weekly Class
What a fantastic soldering course. Olivia went through all the science behind soldering and then gave us 6 different types of soldering to try! I had been quite nervous about doing any soldering with my jewellery, but now feel so much confident, so much so that I’ve bought all the bits to do soldering at home and keep practicing what I’ve learnt. Olivia is very patient, supports you when you need help or you’ve done something wrong! I’m now a part of the weekly jewellery classes with Olivia and love learning new techniques and making new things. Love all the classes and courses.
Gabby - Delft Casting Workshops
I would highly recommend both the delft clay casting and the casting gemstones in place workshops with Kirsty. She is an amazing teacher who demonstrated and explained in great detail lots of helpful tips and techniques which were invaluable.
Jenni & Dave - Make Your Own Wedding Rings
Today we met the most wonderful and patient Olivia who helped us to make our wedding rings. She so very kindly accommodated us at relatively short notice and was so knowledgeable, so professional and so very lovely, you can't help leaving feeling you've made a friend. Making our wedding rings for each other was such an amazing experience, helped by such a lovely setting and lovely person. We can't recommend Olivia highly enough. Thank you.
Jo - Taster Day
Can I just say that I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the day and Olivia's teaching was second to none. It was a great feeling being able to create a keepsake in that short amount of time.
Carol - Soldering Workshop
Although I had been making jewellery with Olivia for several years, I was always a little reluctant when it came to soldering, so decided to do the one day soldering course. I came away feeling so much more confident and was amazed at the various techniques that would help me in making more complex piece. Olivia was her usual calm self and made it look easy and possible. I recommend it to all students, whatever your level of proficiency.
Sara - Children’s Party We celebrated our ten year old daughter's birthday with a jewellery making afternoon at Olivia's beautiful workshop. The girls couldn't wait to get their hands on all of the tools and excited to make something. Within a couple of hours the girls produced their own personalised rings which they were delighted to wear at the end of the day. Olivia was an inspiring and patient teacher who managed to accomodate the design demands in one way or another.. Thank you for making her tenth birthday so special!
Charlotte - Weekly Class
I have been a student with Meon Valley Studio in the Monday evening class for the last year. Olivia is a fantastic teacher, being both patient and encouraging, she helps her students to learn new bench skills so that they can create beautiful jewellery. Monday evenings are the highlight of my week, this class has unearthed a creative side in me that I didn't know existed - I tried a Saturday full day class prior to deciding to sign up to he Monday evening classes and was hooked. As the studio is so well equipped, I would recommend Meon Valley Studio to anyone looking to take a class in a heartbeat, whether a beginner or someone with existing experience of jewellery making.
Alexandra - Make Your Own Wedding Rings
My fiancé (now husband) and I joined a group on a snowy Saturday to make each other's wedding rings. Olivia kindly ordered the gold on our behalf so it was ready and waiting. She gave us just the right amount of help and support to craft beautiful, simple rings that turned out just as we had hoped - although there were a few tricky moments through the process. It was fun and interesting to use all the tools and techniques, so even if a few corrections by Olivia were needed along the way we definitely made the rings ourselves and enjoy wearing these wonderful reminders every day. It was a memorable day and great value for money so we would've finitely recommend it - in fact we later bought my Mum a ring making day for her birthday and she loved it!
Carol - Weekly Class
Olivia has a special gift for teaching in a calm and comprehensive way and her level of knowledge is so comprehensive that there is nothing that she cannot solve when you get into difficulties; or help bring to life when an idea of something that you want to create seems impossible. I fell very privileged to be able to attend her classes and look forward to every session. Many thanks Olivia
Tim - Taster Day
And just so you don’t think it is only for the ladies, I attended a day course at the lovely studio, with the expectation of coming away with a "rustic" piece which would be kept in the bottom draw. However, under Olivia's expert and calm direction, I was able to produce a ring which amazed me and, more challenging, impressed Charlotte, who wears it every day. Thanks for a great day.
Frankie - Taster Days
Spending a day at Meon Valley Studio is a little bit of heaven. The stunning scenery, lovely company and Olivia's ability to translate this intricate skill with such ease, even to the novice, contribute to the enjoyment provided by the workshop days at the studio. After attending many courses with Olivia, I have noticed that the thrill of taking home a beautiful, polished, bespoke piece of jewellery has not diminished in the slightest since my first session! Thank you for these wonderful courses and I look forward to the next one.
Kristie - Taster Days
I've been to several of Olivia's Saturday courses, each time taking a different group of friends who soon become as addicted as I am. It's great fun and you always come away with something you can wear which is a miracle for me and testament to Olivia's amazing teaching skills.
Sally - Taster Days
Your imagination is the only barrier, Olivia steers us through working with different materials and techniques, she's an inspiration to us all, professional and generous with her knowledge and expertise. I'm a beginner making my own family heirlooms!
Lorraine - Weekly Class
I have been attending Olivia's regular weekly classes for well over three years. Olivia is a talented artist who enjoys sharing her skills with her 'pupils'. She teaches us collectively, and individually to achieve our best. I have created many fabulous pieces - well I think so - throughout my time at the studio However, there is an added dimension to Olivia's class which is the rapport and friendly support of my classmates. Sharing the joy of creativity, in a beautiful setting, with a skilled and caring teacher makes Thursday evenings a treat.
If you enjoyed your time at Meon Valley Studio, why not write about your experience below...